Red Sox 2025 Season

[Donoghus]

Honestly, they did much better than I expected this season.  Certainly didn't expect them to make the playoffs. 

If they lost to anyone besides the Yankees, I think this would be sitting with me much better.  But this is much more subdued than any other past failures against New York.  Hell, its just a wild card series at the end of the day.

Now pulling for that Mariners/Cubs World Series.

[Silas]

Tough loss. Bad body language. Guys looked rattled out there. Shlittler was great but he also left a ton of fastballs over the middle of the plate. Sox let him be too comfortable out there. Duran in particular has the infuriating habit of fouling off pitches that would be easy doubles if he'd stop trying to pull the ball.

Gotta shorten up that swing and take what the pitcher gives you. Get baserunners and make the pitcher labor.

Defense really let Early down. Offense too. Feel bad for the kid.

Sox with the worst defense in the league for the second year in a row...

But that's not true at all. I just checked a few sites and the Sox are ranked anywhere from 5th-best to 12th best in runs saved.

And Kristian Campbell, our pitchers, and 1B are responsible for a ton of negative runs apparently - meaning the rest of the team is very good, especially Rafaela, who would have had the best rating in baseball had he played in CF all year and not switched to 2nd to help the team.

All I did was look at number of team errors and team fielding percentage.  This year worst in the league for both and in '24 second to worst for both.  Oh well, wait till next year.

[Roy H.]

Honestly, they did much better than I expected this season.  Certainly didn't expect them to make the playoffs. 

If they lost to anyone besides the Yankees, I think this would be sitting with me much better.  But this is much more subdued than any other past failures against New York.  Hell, its just a wild card series at the end of the day.

Now pulling for that Mariners/Cubs World Series.

Yeah.  If you told me at the beginning of the season that we'd trade Devers for nothing and lose Anthony, Casas, Maher, Giolito, etc., I would have bet on a last place finish, not a playoff berth.

I don't think any of us should be too sad.  Let's hope that the team builds on this success and upgrades the roster.

[Vermont Green]

Get a #2 SP, trade Duran, and for the love of god, ADD A BIG BAT IN THE MIDDLE.

And if the solution is "Casas is coming back", F that. Don't just rely solely on that. The lineup has a lot of potential still with Roman, Mayer and Campbell (LF) added. Still need an Alonso or Schwarber type big bat. The Sogard/Eaton/Romy/Hamilton types need to solely be depth and for pinch-running/defense, that's it. Not regular guys like they became for large stretches.

I like an OF group of Campbell/Rafaela/Abreu.

Bello had a good year, but to me he's probably best as a #3. The 4th and 5th spots can be filled with our depth and prospects (Early, Harrison, Kutter, Tolle, Dobbins, etc.) but add another horse behind Crochet and in front of Bello.

I agree with a #2, resign Giolito if he doesn't need TJ, he's now #3, Bello is #4, pick a five from Crawford, Dobbins, Early, Tolle, Harrison

I don't want to see Campbell in the OF, I want Anthony there.

C:  Narvaez
1B:  Open (Alonso?)
2B:  Campbell
SS: Story
3B:  Mayer
RF:  Abreu
CF:  Rafaela
LF:  Anthony

I have Bregman opting out and Duran being dealt.

Bregman will be an interesting call.  Bregman before the injury was a beast.  Bregman after the injury was something less than beastly, but still solid.  I see him staying in the mix, we'll see.  Based on the injury and being kind of just OK for half the season, his market value may remain low enough that maybe he just opts in and stays.  His contract now has a ton of deferred money, which I not a fan of, but he may not do better than $40M with player options moving forward.  Bregman may even be the solution at 1B.

Story can opt out also, but I am guessing he doesn't either.  He probably could beat 3 years at $25M if he decided to hit the market.

[Phantom255x]

Get a #2 SP, trade Duran, and for the love of god, ADD A BIG BAT IN THE MIDDLE.

And if the solution is "Casas is coming back", F that. Don't just rely solely on that. The lineup has a lot of potential still with Roman, Mayer and Campbell (LF) added. Still need an Alonso or Schwarber type big bat. The Sogard/Eaton/Romy/Hamilton types need to solely be depth and for pinch-running/defense, that's it. Not regular guys like they became for large stretches.

I like an OF group of Campbell/Rafaela/Abreu.

Bello had a good year, but to me he's probably best as a #3. The 4th and 5th spots can be filled with our depth and prospects (Early, Harrison, Kutter, Tolle, Dobbins, etc.) but add another horse behind Crochet and in front of Bello.

I agree with a #2, resign Giolito if he doesn't need TJ, he's now #3, Bello is #4, pick a five from Crawford, Dobbins, Early, Tolle, Harrison

I don't want to see Campbell in the OF, I want Anthony there.

C:  Narvaez
1B:  Open (Alonso?)
2B:  Campbell
SS: Story
3B:  Mayer
RF:  Abreu
CF:  Rafaela
LF:  Anthony

I have Bregman opting out and Duran being dealt.

Bregman will be an interesting call.  Bregman before the injury was a beast.  Bregman after the injury was something less than beastly, but still solid.  I see him staying in the mix, we'll see.  Based on the injury and being kind of just OK for half the season, his market value may remain low enough that maybe he just opts in and stays.  His contract now has a ton of deferred money, which I not a fan of, but he may not do better than $40M with player options moving forward.  Bregman may even be the solution at 1B.

Story can opt out also, but I am guessing he doesn't either.  He probably could beat 3 years at $25M if he decided to hit the market.

Yeah, have to see what they each do. I think Story stays put, but I expect Bregman will still opt-out. That said, I loved Bregman but he did cool off in the 2nd half. Definitely not a 40M a year guy. Max I'd go is a reasonable 30M+ AAV deal if he opts out and wants to rework a deal, but no more than that. I'm not even sure he'd get that in the open market anyways, the Sox essentially got him with a 1/40M deal with 2nd + 3rd year options. Is anyone gonna offer him a 5-year deal this time? Idk

But if Bregman leaves they probably move Mayer to 3B. Regardless, getting another big bat like Alonso has to be a priority.

[Vermont Green]

Bregman's contract as it stands right now, if he does not opt out entirely, is 2 more seasons at $40M each, with a player option in the final year.  I suppose he could opt out and try to get 4 years at $30 or so each, but I am not sure that makes sense.  I think he only opts out if he thinks he can get 4 years at $40 million or more.  He can still play 2026 for $40M on his current contract and opt out for 2027 if he has a really good season.  And even if he does opt out now, BOS can resign him.